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g.l.amour · 10-23-2002, 01:58 PM

don't know the historic truth to it all, but the story goes like this.

some rich king once set a quest for someone to find a way to place an egg upright. as u know it will always roll over so the length axis is parallel to the ground.

columbus was said to have found a way to do it, noone thought it was possible. well columbus just took the egg and slightly knocked it in position so the shell broke and made it stay upright.

so the expression goes for anything that seems really complicated and impossible, but can have a really dumbass simple solution.

explaining this, i can only hope i used it in the right context, because i can't recall too well. prolly i meant something in the line of: look a little further than which seems obvious.

anyway, speaking a couple of languages, it is cool to see how the same grandmother wisdoms exist in most different languages, and are applicable even in modern times.

edit: just did a google search on "ei van columbus"

WAT IS EEN EI VAN COLUMBUS?
Het oplossen van een moeilijkheid die heel eenvoudig is als men er maar eenmaal opgekomen is.

translation
WHAT IS AN EGG OF COLUMBUS?
finding the solution to a difficult question, where the solution is real simple once u know it.

there u have it

10-23-2002, 01:58 PM	#15
g.l.amour Cooling Savant Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: on da case Posts: 933	don't know the historic truth to it all, but the story goes like this. some rich king once set a quest for someone to find a way to place an egg upright. as u know it will always roll over so the length axis is parallel to the ground. columbus was said to have found a way to do it, noone thought it was possible. well columbus just took the egg and slightly knocked it in position so the shell broke and made it stay upright. so the expression goes for anything that seems really complicated and impossible, but can have a really dumbass simple solution. explaining this, i can only hope i used it in the right context, because i can't recall too well. prolly i meant something in the line of: look a little further than which seems obvious. anyway, speaking a couple of languages, it is cool to see how the same grandmother wisdoms exist in most different languages, and are applicable even in modern times. edit: just did a google search on "ei van columbus" WAT IS EEN EI VAN COLUMBUS? Het oplossen van een moeilijkheid die heel eenvoudig is als men er maar eenmaal opgekomen is. translation WHAT IS AN EGG OF COLUMBUS? finding the solution to a difficult question, where the solution is real simple once u know it. there u have it Last edited by g.l.amour; 10-23-2002 at 02:09 PM.